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The Simon Community welcomes the “Communities and Local Governments” recently published report “No-one left behind”.

We commend the report’s promise to inject “the biggest ever” amount of money, £200m, into homelessness.

We are also encouraged by the commitment the report makes to providing suitable accommodation for homeless people attempting to return to work.

However, it is difficult to have faith in this strategy when the government continues to deny the scale of the problem - their latest headcount of rough sleepers fell far short of our own figure of 263 in central London alone.

Additionally, despite the report’s central assertion that rough-sleeping has been cut by 2/3rds, it makes no mention of the many harsh measures employed in order to attain these targets – namely ASBOs and police “move-ons”, or the negative affect that this has on the relationship between the homeless and the voluntary sector.

The Simon Community believes that the report’s wish to entirely eliminate rough-sleeping by 2012 is unrealistic.  It is impossible to legislate or provide a fail-safe net for those who might suddenly find themselves in a state of crisis, who - without adequate physical - and emotional support find themselves living on the street.

Finally, we do not believe that it is a coincidence that the government plans to rid our streets of rough sleepers by 2012, the year the Olympics come to London.   At the most basic level, the Simon Community asks what is being done to combat the societal breakdown that has forced so many onto the streets?

EU arrivals swelling London’s homeless figures

An Independent homelessness charity based in London found 263 homeless people sleeping rough in the centre of the capital on 1 November.

The Simon Community carried out its twice-yearly headcount of eight London boroughs in the early hours of last Saturday.

The last count occurred in April 2008 when 165 people were counted sleeping rough in the same areas.

Although carried out in the same way as official counts by government departments, the Simon Community’s findings are consistently higher than those officially released.

The Simon Community stresses that the 1 November count is only of those who were visible at the time of counting, and does not include those who sleep in parks, disused buildings or inaccessible places.

It says the numbers reflect the fact that there is still inadequate provision for rough sleepers. In addition, the lack of any safety net for arrivals from the newer EU countries has swelled the number of street homeless, as they have no access to government funding and are therefore trapped in a cycle of homelessness and poverty.

The Simon Community was founded in 1963 by Anton Wallich-Clifford. Its principles, that of treating all equally regardless of circumstances, remain unchanged, and it continues to live and work with London's street homeless.

Source: Inspire

Simon Community count finds large hike in London rough sleepers, writes Mithran Samuel

Homelessness charity the Simon Community found there were 263 people sleeping rough in central London last week.

The figure, based on a count carried out overnight on 31 October and 1 November, marks a big leap from the 165 found in the Simon Community's last count of the same areas, in April.

One hundred and ninety four of the total were in Westminster, with a further 30 in the City of London borough. The charity said the figures reflected a lack of adequate provision, particularly for new arrivals from the European Union, who have no access to government funding.

The Simon Community said its figures were consistently higher than official estimates, despite its counts being carried out in the same way as the government's. It also said its figures excluded those people sleeping in parks, disused buildings or other places not accessible to those doing the count.

Source: Community Care

A voluntary organisation working with homeless people has found several hundred rough sleepers in Central London, challenging estimates made by both Westminster Council and central Government.

The Simon Community found 263 homeless people sleeping rough in Central London - 194 of whom were in Westminster - shattering claims that the number of rough sleepers is falling.

Westminster Council's latest street count claimed the number of rough sleepers had decreased by more than 20% - from 89 to 69 - since March. But in the early hours of Saturday 1st November the Simon Community carried out its twice yearly headcount of people sleeping rough in Central London, and found three times that number - despite the cold weather.

A survey of central London boroughs found an increase in people sleeping on the streets of nearly 40 per cent in the past six months.

Migrants from Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and other former eastern bloc countries are the largest group driving the rise, says the Simon Community.

The charity found 263 rough sleepers across Westminster, Camden, Islington, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, the City, Southwark and Kensington, compared with 165 in April.

Jo Nurse, the group's community manager, said the figures revealed only the "tip of the iceberg", with its volunteers unable to record people sleeping in parks, derelict buildings or squats.

Ms Nurse said: "There's no doubt there's been an increase. Eastern European migrants are still coming to London thinking the streets are paved with gold and they will be able to get a job easily but they are the first ones to suffer when times are tough."

The charity's six full-time staff and more than 50 volunteers found 194 rough sleepers in Westminster in the count on Saturday night.

The borough traditionally has the highest figure. The City was next in the survey on 30, followed by Lambeth with 16.

The findings contradict a Westminster council report last month, which claimed the borough had recorded its lowest rough sleeper numbers in a year down from 105 in September last year to 69 last month.

Philippa Roe, Westminster's cabinet member for housing, said the local authority's street counts were "independently verified".

The charity believes homelessness is due to rise further. Ms Nurse said: "We have seen increasing numbers of men who have lost their jobs."

Source: The Evening Standard

Simon Community friends and volunteers counted 263 people sleeping rough in Central London in the early hours of Saturday November 1st 2008. This shows a marked increase (from 165) since the previous headcount, in April this year. The figures cover only people visible at the time of counting, and do not include those who sleep in parks, disused buildings or other places not accessible to those doing the count.

Breakdown by borough:

Homeless but hopeful, the cleaner beaten up in street

Not everyone has benefited from the the gamble of moving to Britain. An estimated 3,000 Poles are sleeping rough. The Providence Row homeless charity in East London says that half its clientele comes from Poland and other Eastern European countries that entered the enlarged European Union in 2004.”

Homeless campaigners speak out on plight of immigrants

The death of a Polish man prevented from receiving drug rehabilitation services has been condemned by campaigners who warn homeless immigrants are being left to die on the streets of Westminster.

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